identification /īden′tifikā″shən/ [L, idem, the same, facere, to make] , an unconscious defense mechanism by which a person patterns his or her personality on that of another person, assuming the person’s qualities, characteristics, and actions. The process is a normal function of personality development and learning, specifically of the superego, and it contributes to the acquisition of interests and ideals. Identification first occurs in early childhood when 3- to 5-year-olds identify with parental same-sex figures. It resurges in adolescence as a major task of identifying with peers.
